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Defining “Animal-Friendly” Training

The profession of animal behavior consultant and training is a growing field that has no governmental oversight for uniformity of standards and practices for professionals. As a result, many individuals and companies are presenting themselves as certified, trained, “master trainer” or expert. Often, these individuals have not studied the sciences that drive the understanding of animal behavior such as learning principles, Applied Animal Behavior, Applied Ethology or the biology of behavior. Many individuals rely on what they have observed others do and adopt that methodology without demonstrating competency, skill or other core standards.

Independent professional organizations, such as the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT) www.ccpdt.org, are now endorsing or certifying members after they demonstrate competency in several core areas, that include temperament or behavioral assessment, intervention strategies, counseling skills, social systems assessment, behavioral science, use and understanding of applied animal behavior and species-specific behavioral knowledge. In other cases, certifications are purchased without an independent demonstration of knowledge or skill. These organizations certify only the individuals who are employed in their franchised companies and do not require outside evaluation of their participants.

Key humane animal management organizations recognize that training and behavior modification practices are an evolving continuum of methods ranging from “clickers”, lure-reward, corrections/praise, leash corrections, striking the animals with tools, electric shock collars, and punishment based asphyxiation (hanging). Many applications are harmless or do less harm. While other applications create situations relying on fear, pain or social intimidation by the human against the animal. These methods rely completely on creating an adversarial relationship between companion and human and are not seen as appropriate by the organizations with high professional standards for their members.

As an example, the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC) defines animal-friendly to mean: "Animal-friendly training is training that utilizes primarily positive reinforcement; secondarily negative punishment uses creative solutions that do not cause pain or fear, animal-friendly trainers avoid the use of positive punishment and negative reinforcement". Organizations such as ABMA, AZA, IAABC, IIACB have strict ethics statements that the animal’s best interests are as critical as the human’s goals and needs for the targeted behavior change.

The organizations I am certified by require their professionals to provide current science-based information consistent with the utilization of positive humane cooperative husbandry methods.